Secret Arts, Secret Techniques

With the work of unifying their mindset now concluded, the Frontline Support Battalion, fully committed to the execution phase, displayed a side of high efficiency and solidarity.

The medical staff, exhausted from days of rushing about, followed the old director's orders and split into two teams: one to unload transfer equipment from the carts, and the other to assist the combat units in maintaining order at the boarding site.

With the aid of chakra and ninjutsu, the ninjas easily carved out a temporary port suitable for loading and unloading in the area where the ships were docked, creating smooth, level ramps out of thin air between the decks and the embankments.

Large pieces of equipment weighing hundreds of kilograms were secured onto flatbed carts, requiring only three or four people to pull them, allowing them to be loaded onto the ships quickly and steadily in mere seconds, without even needing the help of winches or pulleys.

Consequently, the surplus manpower was diverted to the reinforcement and security of the ships.

Following the instructions of Nara Motonari, they deployed various pre-prepared traps and talismans throughout the interior and exterior of the vessels, doing everything in their power to upgrade the two large ships into fortresses!

Meanwhile, other combat units were responsible for arranging defensive and sensory barriers, ensuring that any potential attacks could be detected well in advance during the voyage.

...Soji, participating in an event of this scale for the first time, took all of this in.

But as the Coordination Commissioner, he understood in his heart that the true preparations were not actually contained within these two ships, which appeared armed to the teeth.

--Inoue Reina, who was in charge of communications, had established contact hours ago with friendly forces providing intelligence support for this operation.

These temporarily mobilized scouts had made the most of their strengths, dividing their respective defensive zones within a twenty-kilometer radius along the Amber River, keeping every movement in the area under their watchful eyes!

At the same time, the border defense troops far away on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind had also received reinforcements from the village!

Abandoning their previous interlocking, confrontational stance, they utilized a strategy of retreating to advance, establishing a tight and reliable temporary defensive line within the Land of Fire, completely cutting off the path for Sand Ninja to infiltrate the interior of the Land of Fire!

This shift instantly made the standoff at the border between the two lands tense...

"So, it's confirmed that the mastermind who previously hired the Waterfall Ninja has entered the Land of Fire?" Soji lowered his voice to ask his teacher, Motonari.

The latter nodded slightly, his sharp brows showing not a hint of lethargy: "The border troops discovered signs of organized, large-scale Sand Ninja infiltration. This is completely different from the previous piecemeal intelligence-gathering operations. Cutting off their retreat now is the perfect way to trap the prey."

"As expected of the Land of Wind's handiwork..." Soji sighed softly, saying nothing more.

It now appeared that the hired Waterfall Ninja were indeed just a smokescreen released by someone with ulterior motives; Motonari's previous judgment had been basically verified.

But even if the preconditions for the operation had not changed, the remaining progression would not necessarily follow a logical path...

The specific scale and combat power ratio of the enemy forces remained unclear. Although Konoha held the geographical advantage in this battle, who would ultimately emerge victorious remained unknown for the time being.

"The enemy's identity is practically revealed, but the extent of the combat power that has invaded the Land of Fire remains an unknown variable. You are now not only a member of Team Five but also the Coordination Commissioner appointed by the Hokage. You must not be careless or assume that everything is within your grasp."

"Of course... actually, I have been worrying about my own personal combat power." Soji sighed again, but compared to his previous genuine sentiment, this sigh was clearly more deliberate...

"What? Not satisfied after taking out an entire Waterfall Ninja squad in one go?" Motonari said with a laugh, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

"Look at you, you know the situation back then better than anyone. If it weren't for the 'bodyguards' sent by Chief Inoue, my ambush tactics might not have succeeded."

Soji shook his head and tentatively stepped two paces closer to Motonari: "But if there were a chance to experience that sensory enhancement again, I might have more confidence in the upcoming operation."

"Good grief... you brat, you're hooked, aren't you?" Motonari laughed and scolded, casually flicking the boy on the forehead: "Do you think I was joking with you earlier? The Superman Drug isn't something you can just find whenever you want!"

"Then how about this, you could reveal a few of the ingredients... I happen to know a few seniors in the Pharmacy Department; perhaps there will be an opportunity to conduct research in related fields in the future."

"...You're pushing your luck!"

Motonari raised his hand in mock anger, pretending to strike.

Seeing this, Soji dodged slightly, moving out of his teacher's "range."

--The boy had always known the importance of boundaries and certainly knew that the Nara family's secret recipes could not be passed on casually.

The reason he spoke this way on purpose was actually to pave the way for a compromise.

"Don't be angry, I was just saying... Since the Superman Drug is out of the question for now, I have another presumptuous request, and I hope you can grant it."

"Let's hear it."

"It's like this: regarding your Shadow Secret Technique used to subdue the Waterfall Ninja assassin... I've been thinking about it for a long time and have some faint guesses. I hope to get them verified by you." Soji bowed, his playful mood gone.

He deliberated for a moment before tentatively speaking: "I had heard of the Nara Clan's secret techniques back at the Ninja Academy, but that night in the dense forest, the scale of your technique far exceeded anything I had heard of... so I suspect there must be some mystery to it."

In the original work, the Nara Clan's shadow-manipulation techniques were deeply impressive.

Integrating control, output, and support capabilities, the Shadow Ninja Art could be called the adhesive of the Ino-Shika-Cho combination, possessing excellent performance in all aspects.

However, whether it was the new generation's Shikamaru or his father's generation's Shikaku, Nara clansmen often faced an unavoidable problem when using Shadow Secret Techniques in battle... namely, the maximum range of the ninjutsu!

Yet, in the operation to capture the Waterfall Ninja assassin, Nara Motonari had managed to extend his Shadow Secret Technique to a vast radius of hundreds of meters in a short time, to the point that Soji, who had wandered into it, was affected by the technique immediately, which only heightened his tension.

The boy had initially just marveled that his teacher's cultivation of the secret technique had reached its pinnacle, but as time passed, he overturned his original thought...

"I was thinking, perhaps you incorporated genjutsu techniques into the use of the Shadow Secret Technique, and through this special method of composite casting, achieved a powerful synergy. I wonder, is my guess correct?"

"Ah... you really are a headache." Motonari scratched his hair, his distress tinged with a hint of joy: "You saw through it after only seeing it once?"

"I was only guessing... besides, observing the effect and knowing the principle are two completely different things, let alone coming up with a way to break it."

Soji bowed his head, his attitude becoming increasingly respectful.

Having spent some time with him, Nara Motonari knew this was the boy's standard procedure before asking for a favor, so he simply took the initiative to reveal the truth: "Taking such a long way around, it seems you want to learn my trump card, don't you?"

"Teacher is truly discerning and sees things as clearly as fire!"

Flattery will get you everywhere!

Soji offered two pieces of free praise and continued to push his own agenda.

"I feel that the activation process of my own bloodline secret technique is relatively complex, and its requirements for concealment and surprise happen to be similar to the Nara Clan's Shadow Secret Technique. If you wouldn't mind, it would be my great fortune if you could provide some guidance!"

"Alright, alright, you're still young, don't play these games. Since I am the jonin in charge of Team Five, I naturally won't keep what I should teach you to myself."

Motonari sounded impatient, but as a teacher, encountering a student who was diligent, inquisitive, and good at thinking actually brought him mostly satisfaction.

Therefore, he not only readily agreed to Soji's request but also made sure to give careful instructions to prevent his disciple from going astray: "But let's be clear, there is a threshold to learning genjutsu. With a major battle approaching, you must not be too eager for success and end up ruining your original combat system."

"I will take your wise words to heart, Teacher."